Green Options

I’m a die hard scented candle afficianado, but besides the obvious olfactory pleasures I gain from burning a delicious organic version, the new ‘Light The Way’ limited edition soy wax candle from Aveda gives me extra reason to feel good.

Inspired by a French stress-relieving aroma comprised exclusively of certified organic ingredients including clary sage, lavender and lavandin, 100% of proceeds from this sale of this candle will help Aveda donate a total of $1,000,000 to clean water projects around the globe. Over 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water and children are dying every day from preventable diseases as a result.

Oh the excitement of prom season! Selecting the dress, practicing makeup techniques, reserving a corsage, hiring a limo with your GF’s, mani/pedi… who doesn’t want to be princess for a day! With so many choices to make, thinking about the environment & being healthy amongst all the distraction might not automatically be a high priority, but Teens Turning Green & Whole Foods are joining forces to prove just how easy (and stylish), it is to make thoughtful, earth friendly decisions around prom season. The program, called Project Green Prom, is launching with a fun, online video contest for high school juniors & seniors. All you have to do is post your most creative & fabulous three-minute video that answers the question, “How would you green your prom?” Submit between now & March 30th via

The girls spoke and Victoria’s Secret listened! Who among us hasn’t lusted after some of the sexy underpinnings I regularly drool over at Victoria’s Secret? Well now there’s another collection for you to covet, and holy moly, wait for it… it’s both organic & vegan!! PINK BODY is a unique and bold new move for this conventional retailer and they get a big gold star for paying attention to [...]

Hot off NY Fashion Week came the Oscars and in this recession, I’m happy to report, not for a moment did they disappoint. As an Organic Glamazon, who loves to watch the stunning parade of gorgeous, glamorous and uber chic gowns, hair and makeup, it was a night of decadent, unapologetic, head-turning, fashion glory that saw couture from Galliano, Yves Saint Laurent, Balmain, Versace, Dior and on it went - in [...]

Rodarte started making an eco-splash about 4 years ago, having partnered with Aveda in various ways for their shows. Known for their groundbreaking, artisan & artistic approach to their work, the girls have become more and more environmentally savvy over the years. “They are unique,” said Kirsten Dunst of Kate and Laura Mulleavy, front-row at their show today. “They didn’t just study fashion. You can see that. [...]

Kaia Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths are a brilliant, 3-in-1 quick cleansing solution that removes all traces of makeup, daily grime & buildup. Inspired by a sustainable clothing designer, not only is bamboo cashmere soft to touch making it perfect for sensitive skins & eye makeup removal, it is naturally antimicrobial and antifungal, requiring no pesticides to grow. Formulated to bring convenience to our lives with essentially three products in [...]

As a sun worshipper many years ago, who giddily slapped on coconut oil and eagerly awaited the burn I’d get after hours of baking, I’m now suffering the effects of too much exposure. The greatest cause of skin damage including premature aging, discoloration, fine lines, pigmentation, is the sun. Period. Free-radicals are formed with over exposure which run rampant, cause havoc and breakdown the very structure of skin, which leads to all of the above. Ah, if only I’d listened to my mother admonishing my bad sun habits! Too late for hindsight, but not too late for some enlightenment. Aveda are about to release a new skincare line called Enbrightenment, an entire line containing a plant-powered, skin brightening blend.

Far from being my ‘crowning glory’ my hair is actually my worst nightmare! I have hair that happily resides in ‘neither here nor there’ land when it comes to attributes and seems to have a mind of its own: oily & flat at the roots but some days I get amazing root lift; dry ends that are fragile no matter how many 6wk hair cuts I maintain; easily straightened but immediately ruined by humidity; some days does exactly what I want and others not… I curse that I was not one of the fortunate (and rare?) people who has ‘normal’ hair! However, I was recently sent a sample of the new Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother and not only am I loving it, so is my hair.

Environmental activist, green advocate, model, scientist & gorgeous girl-about-the-green-scene, Summer Rayne Oakes is about to launch her first book titled ‘Style, Naturally’. Touted as a savvy shopping guide to sustainable shopping & beauty, the book will be available at all major locations like Amazon.com, Borders and Barnes & Noble, but also cool, conscientious booksellers like [...]

I wrote about this last year on Organic Beauty View when the news first broke, and since then, there’s been a storm of response from the manufacturers of the brands that were listed - all fiercely defending their million dollar investements, as you’d expect them to. According to Cosmetics Design - Europe, tests were conducted by scientists at Rutgers State University of New Jersey, with the study concluding that applying a number of commercially available moisturising creams (Dermabase, Dermovan, Eucerin or Vanicream), to the skin of mice pre-treated with UVB (to make them high risk for skin cancer), increased the rate of tumor formation.

I freely admit to being one of those people who counts almost any form of responsible hedonism and self-indulgence in my top 10 life essentials; right up there alongside food, water, oxygen, friends and family. Some might call it shallow. I call it necessary. It’s with great excitement and interest then, that I recently learned of Phyto Universe in Manhattan, a spa with a twist. Phyto is the only spa primarily focused on the treatment and care of hair.  The center features two diagnostic stations where PHYTO experts analyze the hair and scalp with a “PHYTOscope” - the scope magnifies the hair and scalp 200 times in order to properly diagnose its health and for technicians to offer targeted solutions - all within the serene walls of nine private cabins that have been separated by antique 14th century, French Chateau shutters, and a huge botanical wall bursting with plant life.